Electric motor



March 20, 1951 R. H. SULLIVAN ETAL ELECTRIC MOTOR Original Filed Dec. 7, 1945 43 Jay. 2

v 6 INVEN TOPS RHYI'IOND H. SULL/VHN VAVUG'I-l/V l4- HHPDY fl/VD HERBERT C1 PORTER I l M THE/R ITTOPNEYS' Patented Mar. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF ICE ELECTRIC MOTOR Raymond H. Sullivan, Vaughn H. Hardy, and Herbert '0. Porter, Rochester, N. Y., assignors to General 'Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Original application December 7, 1945, Serial No. 633,466. Divided and this application January 21, 1949, S eria1'No.72,002

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements to governors for commutator motors and more particularly to a device for preventing sparking at the contacts in the governors and at the brushes. This is a division of my copending application Ser. No. 633,466, filed December 7, 1945, now Patent No. 2,478,848 patented August 9, 1949.

An object of the present invention is to provide a circuit breaker and resistor arrangement in such a governor wherein the circuit breaker will open when the speed of the armature reaches a pedetermined speed so that no sparking will occur at the opening of the circuit breaker nor at the brushes. In the disclosed embodiments of the invention this object is accomplished by the use of governors paralleling control resistances which are in series with the armature coilsin combination with oneor more resistances in parallel with armature coils. A further object is to provide for easy assembly or removal of the brush rigging of the motor.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following-description reference being had to the accompany in drawings wherein preferred embodiment-sci the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 isan end view of the elec'tric' motor embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of r Fig. 1.

:Fig. 3 is a view taken in the direction of arrow 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is .a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is .a wiring diagram of a motor including switches and resistors arranged in accordance with this invention with the switch connections in the positions assumed at low or normal speeds.

Fig. 6 is a wirin diagram similar to Fig. 5, but showing second embodiment of the inven- 'tion.

Referringto Figs. 1 to' i'inclusive 2D designates a cup-shaped housing made of die cast metal :and carrying a permanent, ring-shaped magnet 2| and two diametrically opposite pole pieces 22 'one of which is shown in Fig. 2. The housing -'2-0 encloses a rotating armature core '24 mounted on a shaft 25 rotatably supported by ball bearings 26 and '27. The bearing '26 is supported in a recess 28 provided at the closed end of the housing and the bearin 21 :is mounted in a suit- 'able recess '29 formed in an end member 30. The outer races of bearing 21 "having 'a sliding lit in the recess 29. End play of the "shaft25 is taken up by a spring washer 3|, having one face thereof bearing against the end wall of the recess 29. The washer 3! is provided with a plurality of spring fingers 32 which preferably engage the outer race of bearing 2-! as shown.

The open end of the housing 28 is provided with an annular portion to receive telescopically a flange 33 of the end member 30. This end member is maintained in assembled relation with the housin by screws 34 and posts 35 having threaded engagement with the housing 2-].

The armature carries windings 36 attached to commutator segments 31 in the proper manner. The commutator is engaged by a pair of brushes 38 only one of which is shown in Fig. 2. The brushes are slidable in guide channels 39 provided by a brush holder 400i insulating material. Each brush 38 is connected with a terminal clip 4| by a pig tail 42 soldered thereto. Each brush is urged toward the commutator by a coil spring 43. In this instance each spring as is mounted upon an insulating sleeve or body 44 preferably molded around an extension 45 of the post 35 see Fig.2. Each spring 43 has one end engaging a stop provided by the end member 30 while the other end is guided in a groove 46 provided in the upper end of the channel 39 to urge a brush 38 against the commutator.

The brush holders 4!! and terminal clips 4| are removably attached to the end member by pins 41. The brush holders have arms d8 provided with openings and the clips H are provided aligned openings through which bosses of insulating blocks 49, project. Counterbored holes are formed in the blocks which receive pins 47, said pins having shoulders that seat against the ledge formed by the counterbore. The lower ends 41a of the pins 4'! project into openings provided by end member 30. A U-shaped sprin so has its arms so formed and tensioned that they will bear against the outer end of the pins 41 to urge the pins radially inward into the openings of the end member 39, and thus hold the brush holders in assembled relation with the end member. The upper ends of the pins have projections 41b which extend freely into openings provided by the arms of the springmember. By this arrangement the spring 59 can be easily removed from the pins to permit removal thereof.

The end 25a of the armature shaft 25 is provided with a groove 5! extending parallel with the axis of the shaft, said grooves receiving insulated cables 52 and 53, each including a pair of conducting wires connected with certain ar-ma- Plates 54 and 55 are fixed to the disc-- quence of operation will be continually repeated adjustable contact 63 while plate 55 supports an H adjustable contact 64. The base also'has a pair of conducting bars 65 and 66 extending therethrough to which flat conducting springs 61 and 61a are respectively attached by rivets 68. The free ends of the springs 67 and 61a carry contacts 69 and I respectively,said springs being so biased that they hold their respective contacts in engagement with the adjustable contacts 63 and 64. The contacts 69 and will be in engagement with contacts 63 and 64 until centrifugal force overcomes the tension of the springs 61 and Gla which occurs when the motor armature exceeds the speed for which the governor is adjusted. The tension of springs 61 and 67a may be varied by adjusting the contacts 63, 64. By proper adjustment of contacts 63, 64 the spring tension in the springs is just sufficient to hold the contacts 69 and 10 in engagement with their respective contacts 63 and 04 with the motor running at the desired speed. When this speed is exceeded the springs 67 and 61a move toward stops Ii carried by the base 6c and thus separate the contacts 5%, l0 and break short-circuits around the resistors and i6 shown in Fig. 5. The bars 65, 06 also project beyond the rear face of the base 50. The rear side of disc is suitably recessed to receive resistors 15 and It. The re sistor 15 is connected with the plate 5 and the bar 65; and the resistor 16 is connected with the plate 55 and the bar 66. A resistor 12 which parallels certain armature coils is electrically connected with the bars 65 and 66 at the front of the disc, see Figs. 2 and 3.

In Figs. 5 and 6, the armature coils (collectively numbered 36 in Fig. 2) are individually designated by letters a to 9. These coils are connected with the commutator segments 37 as shown. A battery SI and a switch 30 are connected with the brushes 33. A conventional two-pole lap armature winding is thus provided. This is equivalent to two circuits connected in parallel across the brushes or battery. Dne circuit includes armature coils, a, g and J in series with the control resistor it normally shorted by contacts 54 and "Ill. The other circuit includes coils c, d and e in series with the control resistor 15 normally shorted by contacts 53 and 69.

When the switch '31: is closed, a voltage will be impressed across the'brushes 38 and a current will flow into the armature. This current will divide and pass through the two armature circuits thereby causing the armature to rotate at a speed depending upon the constants of the circuits. At all speeds below the desired governed speed, the governor contacts remain closed; and the speed is proportioned to the input voltage. When the desired governed speed is reached, the governor contacts open and render the resistors 15 and 76 effective to reduce the armature current. The speed decreases and the governor contacts close. Then speed increases and the governor contacts open again. So long as the impressed voltage is higher than required to force normal current through the armature, this seat a comparatively high frequency with practically negligible speed differential between open contact and closed contact condition.

It would be possible to control the speed of motor by the use of the governor contacts Without the control resistors, but the speed regulation would be jerky and uneven due to excessive sparking at the governor contacts. Also the brush life would be relatively short due to inductive sparking at the brushes when the governor contacts are open.- To minimize sparking at the brushes and governor contacts, and to obtain a smoother speed regulation the present invention provides electrical damping means for reducing thetime rate. of change of current when the governor contacts open. It is important that the damping means be" put on the armature side of the brushes. It is practically useless to put damping means across the brush terminals. Sparking is materially reduced by the damping resistors 15 and 16 connected across the governor contacts. Sparking is further reduced and the range of voltage in which governed speed can be maintained is increased by using, with resistors 15 and '16, one or more resistors in parallel with groups of armature coils such as resistor '12 alone (Fig. 5) or resistors 12 and (Fig. 6).

The following example is given to show what can be accomplished. A certain electric motor having a governed speed of 10,000 R. P. M. and designed to operate at approximately 34 volts is equipped with 200 ohm resistors 15 and 16, re.- sistor 72 being omitted. The maximum controlled voltage or maximum voltage at which governed speed can be controlled is 30.9 volts. When a 200 ohm resistor 12 is used with resistors 15 and 16 the maximum controlled voltage is raised to 34.6 volts and circuit .damping is still further improved. That is, sparking is even less than When resistors 15 and were used without resistor 12. The armature circuit may be used with a magnetic field excited by a shunt field winding, or by a series field winding or by a permanent magnet. 7

While the embodiments ofthe present invention as herein disclosed, constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In adynamoelectric machine having a casmg and a commutator journaled therein, said casing including a detachable end member housing the commutator, said end member having spaced radial openings at diametrically opposite points, a pair of brush holders of insulating material removably mounted on opposite sides of the end member, each holder having portions fitted in one said opening; a guide opening formed in each brush holder; a brush slidingly mounted in each guide opening; a removable retaining member slidably mounted in an opening provided by an arm on each brush holder, said retaining members having one end extending into the other openings of the end member and the other end extending above the arm; and a U-shaped member embracing the end member and having the yoke formed so that the free ends of the spaced arms will resiliently engage respective retaining means to urge them radially inward and thereby hold the brush holders in assembled relation with the end member; and spring means for urgin the brushes against the commutator. 2 In a dynamoelectric machine having a tubular casing and a rotary member having a commutator journaled therein, said casing including a detachable end member housing the commutator; a plurality of brush holders of non-cenducting material removably mounted on the outside of the end member; a brush slidably supported in each holder; spring means for urging the brushes against the commutator; removable means for maintaining the holders in position on the end member, said means including pin members extending through portions of the holders spaced from the brushes and into pockets pro vided by the end member; and a removable resilient yoke member embracing the end member and having the ends of the yoke member engaging the pins, the ends being biased so as to urge the pins inwardly with the pockets and thereby hold said brush holder in assembled relation to the end member.

3. In a dynamoelectric machine having a tubular casing and a rotary member having a commutator journaled therein, said casing including a detachable end member housing the commutator; a plurality of brush holders of non-conducting material removably mounted on the outside of the end member; a brush slidably supported in each holder; spring means insulatingly supported on the outside of end member for urging the brushes against the commutator, removable means for maintaining the holders in position on the end member, said means including block members and pin members, said pin members extending through counterbored openings in the holders block members spaced from the brushes and into openings provided by the end member, said pins having shoulders cooperatin with the counterbore openings in the blocks for limiting the inward movement of the pin members; a removable resilient yoke memberembracing the end member and having arms engaging the pins, said arms being tensioned so as to urge the pins inwardly into the openings of the end member and thereby hold said brush holders in assembled relation to the end member.

4. In a dynamoelectric machine having a casing and a rotary member having a commutator journaled therein; a brush-holder of nonconducting material located on the housing by a part of the holder received in a hole in casing; a brush slidably movable in the brush-holder, said brush having a wire connected thereto and to a terminal; spring means to urge the brush toward the commutator; a pin extending through the holder and into the casing; and a sprin member for retaining the pin in the casing and urging the holder against the casing and retaining the terminal upon the holder.

5. In a dynamoelectric machine having a frame and rotary member having a commutator; a

brush-holder located on the frame by a part of the holder extending into a hole provided b the frame a brush slidably mounted in the holder, said brush having a wire connected thereto and to a terminal; a block of insulating material engaging the terminal to hold same upon the holder; spring means for urging the brush against the commutator; a pin passin through the block, holder and into a hole in the frame; and a spring member engaging the pin, said spring being shaped to transmit spring pressure to block, terminal and holder.

6. In a dynamoelectric machine having a housing and. a rotary member having a commutator; a pair of brush-holders of nonconducting material located on opposite sides of the housing, each holder having a part extending in a respective hole provided by the housing; a brush slidably mounted in each holder each brush having a wire connected thereto and to a separate terminal; spring means for urging the brushes toward the commutator; a pair of pins, one passing through each holder and into the housing; and a resilient U-shaped member embracing the housing and having the yoke formed so that the arms of the U-shaped member will engage respective pins to urge same inwardly to urge the holders against the casing and the terminals against the holder.

7 In a dynamoelectric machine having a housing and a rotary member having a commutator; a pair of brushholders of nonconducting material located on opposite sides of the housing, each holder having a part extending in a respective hole provided by the housing; a brush slidably mounted in each holder each brush having a wire connected thereto and. to a separate terminal; spring means for urging the brushes toward the commutator; a pair of blocks of nonconducting material, each block engaging a terminal to hold the latter against a holder; a pin passing through each block, holder and into the housing; and a U-shaped spring member embracing the housing, said spring member having its arms engaging the pins, said arms being tensioned so as to transmit spring pressure to the blocks, terminals and holders.

RAYMOND H. SULLIVAN.

VAUGHN H. HARDY. HERBERT C. PORTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,428,342 Nies Sept. 5, 1922 1,935,789 Cullen Nov. 21, 1933 

